Fin latch assembly



June 11, 1963 RE ETAL 3,093,075

FIN LATCH ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1960 FIG. 2 INVENTORS EDGAR J. GARRETT ROBERT 7'. LA/VGFORD ROBERT E IV/OKS AGE/VT June 1963 E. J. GARRETT ETAL 3,093,075

FIN LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed July 29, 1960 2 ts-sh t 2 FIG. 3

INVENTORS EDGAR J. GARRETT ROBERT T. LANGFORD ROBERT F N/GKS AGENT United States Patent 3,093,075 FIN LATCH ASSEMBLY Edgar J. Garrett and Robert T. Langford, Dallas, and

Robert F. Nicks, Mesquite, Tex., assignors, by mesue assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July 29, 1960, Ser. No. 46,322 2 Claims. (Cl. 102-50) The present invention relates to rockets and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for securing movable control fins thereto.

More particularly, the invention relates to a means for attaching a movable control fin for any type of propelled missile or craft which requires controllable fin stabilization, as for example, rockets, guided missiles, etc. The attachment and fin are arranged so that the fin is releasably attached for removing it from the fuselage without disturbing the control linkage.

An object of the present invention is the provision.

of an improved latching assembly for releasably connecting a control fin to a fuselage.

Another object is to provide an improved latching assembly for use with a rotatable missile control fin.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved mounting receptacle for detachably receiving a movable missile control fin.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a missile which is readily adaptable to having its control fins removed for ease in shipping and storage.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an isometric of a missile having the improved fin latch assembly incorporated in the missiles control fins.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the improved latch assembly.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded isometric view of the details of the improved latch assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a missile 9 having control fins 11 thereon which are releasably attached to the missile fuselage while remaining movable for control purposes.

In FIG. 2 details of how the control fin 11 is attached to the missile fuselage 12 are set forth. A cylindrical shell13 is attached to fuselage 12 and is wedge shaped at sections 14 and 15 so that bushings 16 and 17 can be wedged therein respectively. Bearings 18 and 19 are mounted in bushings 16 and 17 respectively to support a rotatable control receptacle 21 which has an arm 22 adapted to be attached to suitable control means (not shown). A threaded nut 7 holds receptacle 21 in place and is locked against rotation by lockwire 8.

To engage control fins 11 to the fuselage the control surface assembly 23 is fitted into the proper receptacle 21. The control surface assembly 23 has an extended shaft 24 and a locking device 25 mounted in the shaft 24. A drilled hole 26 in shaft 24 houses locking device 25 which consists of a plunger 27 having a tapered end 28 biased outwardly by a spring 29 which is held in hole 26 by a plug 31 and locking ring 32. When the locking device is installed in its housing 26, it will act as a spring loaded pin, with the tapered end 28 of plunger 27 extending outside the surface of shaft 24.

A retaining slot 33 is formed in the end of shaft 24. Slot 33 engages a pin 34 located in receptacle 21 so that 3 ,0'9330 7 5 Patented June 11, 1963 shaft 24 will not rotate inside of receptacle 21 and consequently rotation of control fin 11 will occur on rotation of control receptacle arm 22.

A spring 35 located below the pin 34 is pressure loaded and retained within receptacle 21 by pin 34 and a receptacle plug 36. This pressure loaded spring will bear the pressure of the control surface assembly 23 when the locking device 25 engages a locking hole 37 formed in the wall of receptacle 21. A slot 38 extends through assembly 23, down the side of the inside wall 39 of receptacle 21, and into locking hole 37. This allows for guiding the shaft 24 into receptacle 21 so that the lock-' ing device 25 will engage locking hole 37. Additionally,

slot 38 permits the use of an unlocking key 40. Key 40 can be inserted into slot 38 to apply pressure against the tapered end 28 of plunger 27. will force the locking device 25 inside shaft 24 and control fin 11 will be disengaged from fuselage 12 since spring 35 will exert an outward force on shaft 24 which is no longer locked against outward movement by locking device 25.

The advantage of the aforesaid invention is that a missile control fin is easily disengaged from the fin control linkage but once inserted in the control linkage assembly it will be integral therewith so as to respond immediately to control movements.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved mounting device for attaching a control fin to a missile and which will release said control fin when a key is inserted therein to allow said control fin to be detached from said missile comprising, a tubular control receptacle having open and closed ends and a :hole therebetween mounted in said missile with said open end adjacent the outer surface of said missile, a pin affixed to the interior of said receptacle adjacent said closed end and transverse to the longitudinal axis of said receptacle, a compression spring retained within said receptacle between said pin and said closed end, a guide slot on the inner surface of said receptacle and extending from said open end to said hole, a shaft receivable in said receptacle mounted on said control fin and having a diametrically extending slot on the end thereof, a transverse bore in said shaft, a plunger having a tapered end movable in said shaft between locked and unlocked positions, and bias means retained within said bore for biasing said plunger outwardly into said locked position, said plunger being moved to said unlocked position by insertion of said key in said guide slot, said plunger and said diametrically extending slot positioned on said shaft to be registerable with said guide slot and said pin, respec tively, as said shaft is inserted in said receptacle whereby said shaft will depress said spring and said pin will enter said diametrically extending slot assuring simultaneous rotation of said shaft and said receptacle.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cylindrical shell rigidly attached to said missile and said receptacle is rotatably mounted in said shell whereby said receptacle may be rotated relative to said shell and said control fin adjusted thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,267,802 jtPurdy Dec. 30, 1941 2,675,257 Specht Apr. 13, 1954 2,685,468 Blocker et al. Aug. 3, 1954 2,851,950 Van Aken et a1. Sept. 16, 1958 

1. AN IMPROVED MOUNTING DEVICE FOR ATTACHING A CONTROL FIN TO A MISSILE AND WHICH WILL RELEASE SAID CONTROL FIN WHEN A KEY IS INSERTED THEREIN TO ALLOW SAID CONTROL FIN TO BE DETACHED FROM SAID MISSILE COMPRISING, A TUBULAR CONTROL RECEPTACLE HAVING OPEN AND CLOSED ENDS AND A HOLE THEREBETWEEN MOUNTED IN SAID MISSILE WITH SAID OPEN END ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID MISSILE, A PIN AFFIXED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID RECEPTACLE ADJACENT SAID CLOSED END AND TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID RECEPTACLE, A COMPRESSION SPRING RETAINED WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE BETWEEN SAID PIN AND SAID CLOSED END, A GUIDE SLOT ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND EXTENDING FROM SAID OPEN END TO SAID HOLE, A SHAFT RECEIVABLE IN SAID RECEPTABLE MOUNTED ON SAID CONTROL FIN AND HAVING A DIAMETRICALLY EXTENDING SLOT ON THE END THEREOF, A TRANSVERSE BORE IN SAID SHAFT, A PLUNGER HAVING A TAPERED END MOVABLE IN SAID SHAFT BETWEEN LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS, AND BIAS MEANS RETAINED WITHIN SAID BORE FOR BIASING SAID PLUNGER OUTWARDLY INTO SAID LOCKED POSITION, SAID PLUNGER BEIFNG MOVED TO SAID UNLOCKED POSITION BY INSERTION OF SAID KEY IN SAID GUIDE SLOT, SAID PLUNGER AND SAID DIAMETRICALLY EXTENDING SLOT POSITIONED ON SAID SHAFT TO BE REGISTERABLE WITH SAID GUIDE SLOT AND SAID PIN, RESPECTIVELY, AS SAID SHAFT IS INSERTED IN SAID RECEPTACLE WHEREBY SAID SHAFT WILL DEPRESS SAID SPRING AND SAID PIN WILL ENTER SAID DIAMETRICALLY EXTENDING SLOT ASSURING SIMULTANEOUS ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID RECEPTACLE. 